Butterflies

Last weekend we had a workshop for our quilt group. 

Kathy from KOOL KATS  quilting in Toowoomba came to our  quilting group. We had a two day retreat at home making a Bali Butterfly. Fist day Kathy tutored us , second day we continued to sew.  Mr Bird cooked all our meals and the lovely ladies gave us these tulips for preparing the food..  Tulips are my favourites. 

Just beautiful inside. Hmm. I wonder if they knew orange is my favourite.

Picking a background

I think mine looks more like a moth than a butterfly but we will see when its finished...

My friend Margie S's quilt

My friend Jo's lovely quilt

A Return from Sweden

 This weekend we have been very lucky to have one of our past Rotary exchange students return to visit us.

 Elsa is a part of our family now after living with us for 3 months in 2002. She bought her boyfriend Per with her. What a nice time we have had.  

The  exchange was a wonderful educational experience for our family and we have made friends forever.  Over time we have had 2 girls from Denmark and one from Germany and one from Sweden( Elsa).  All but one has returned for a visit and the last says she is coming soon. 

 We have had fun eating, drinking, talking and  looking for kangaroos and emus. We have been to a farm and to a trail ride. 

When  you look for everything your town has to offer to show overseas visitors you really take a second look and  appreciate it more.

Family Gathering

A lovely gift from Elsa and Per... Radish girls.

Funny the brand.... by Elsa From Elsa  not the same Elsa  of course.

I made her favourite cookies. Cornflake choc chip cookies.  

They made us a very nice entree - Pear and Haloumi (Paron and Haloumi) So simple  yet so nice.

Breakfast for the tourists at my favourite coffee shop.. Lauren'z .
 I  taught Lauren ( in black) at school, a few years ago now.
The best eggs benedict you will get anywhere....

Elsa and Per at the farm

Looking for Emus ...we did find some

A little help needed

Girls in blogland who live in Bathurst.  I am trying to find some fabric with coffee cups on it in browns and reds and earthy colours. I think that shop with all the novelty fabrics might have some.  Does anyone know the name of it so I can phone them.....    Cant find the fabric here... Thanks

Yesterday was the first day I was able to get to the sewing machine in a while. I cleaned the sewing room up as I usually have to before I start. Don't know why .....its always a mess when I finish....LOL.
My good friend Gail arrived and we had a lovely day of sewing.  Always better to sew with a friend....

I am on a mission to finish things lately but I am busting to start a new project....so we will see how long it lasts.

First we started with cake -

I finished my Dresden plate quilt I started with Kerry Swain at "Cottage on the Hill"  last year.

Gail was working on her challenge ...Shhh..........

Our quilt group  has a challenge at the moment......we all had to wrap 4 fat quarters and put them in a basket then we had to pick one out and create something with them...we could use any embellishment and one metre of extra fabric.....  I have to hurry up and start mine.

A machine mat with matching thread catcher......only the bind to be stitched now.

The thread catcher will be added to the tile and hang over the edge of the table.

I am using my special edition Singer to sew bindings 

Twin quilts made at Kerry Swains at "Cottage on the Hill" Nundle. 

Just binding to be done ...tonight's job

Thimbles

Chooky's post inspired me to show my thimble  collection. They come from all around Australia and the world.

The girls in our sewing group often bring us thimbles back from their travels. 

Thimble House 

My favourite one I actually use - from China ( the panda)   and  some of my favourites but most useless . 

Agave

"I am writing this blog with both anticipation and concern....


My beautiful Agave garden has some flowers and I have been  waiting patiently anticipating the flowers BUT...........................I then  researched and found out .............

Quote......

form rosettes of large, often fleshy leaves, that can have fiercely toothed edges and long spines at the tips. The cream to chrome yellow flowers are borne in clusters on tall branching stems. While flower stems can be spectacular both in size and color, agave rosettes are monocarpic (dying after flowering) though most species produce offsets or pups beforehand. Species with only a few very large rosettes, such as Agave americana, are grown mainly for their foliage and form.


Now I am very sad it is a big patch to fill in my garden.....

It started like this for a few weeks

Now 

Its very slow at opening the buds ....now I know why...